Two kids play along the Lake Michigan shore at the end of a summer’s day. Cuts to key Great Lakes program threaten an increase in beach closures, drinking water restrictions, and fish consumption advisories. Photo credit: Flickr/rkramer62.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (February 15, 2018)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition today urged the U.S. Congress to reject the Trump Administration’s budget and infrastructure plan as insufficient to restore and protect the Great Lakes and to meet the needs of the 30 million people who depend on the lakes for their drinking water, jobs, and way of life.

“We’re counting on Congress to keep federal Great Lakes restoration efforts on track and to put forward a robustly funded, bipartisan infrastructure package that provides financial relief to local communities and ensures that every person has access to clean, safe and affordable drinking water,” said Todd Ambs, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Cutting funding now will only delay projects, making them more complicated and more expensive to complete.”

The Trump Administration’s proposed budget contains steep cuts to core Great Lakes programs. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is asking congress to restore Great Lakes funding and support a federal legislative agenda that includes:

funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the marquee program to restore the lakes;

funding to fix the region’s old, crumbling drinking water and wastewater infrastructure;

support of policies and funding that block Asian carp and other invasive species into U.S. waters;

funding for farm conservation programs in the Farm Bill;

defense of Clean Water Act and other environmental protections; and,

funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies that are instrumental in carrying out restoration work.

“Each of these priorities is vital to the restoration and protection of our Great Lakes and the health of our environment and economy,” said Chad Lord, policy director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The Great Lakes congressional delegation has been instrumental in making Great Lakes restoration a national priority. Federal investments are producing results. And it will be vital for our federal public officials to support all of these actions to ensure that we maintain progress.”

The Coalition is also asking for the U.S. Congress to work to craft a bipartisan infrastructure package that provides more financial support for local communities—rather than the Trump Administration’s plan that puts the overwhelming burden of funding infrastructure on local governments.

Over the last 40 years, local communities have picked up the lion’s share of the costs to maintain their water infrastructure—while the investment by the federal government has fallen precipitously. In 1977 the federal government contributed 63 percent of water infrastructure investment. Now they contribute 9 percent. As local communities have taken on more of the responsibility, water rates have skyrocketed. From 2010-2017, water rates went up 41 percent.

Said Coalition Campaign Director Ambs: “The millions of people who call the Great Lakes region home deserve an infrastructure plan that acknowledges the hard work local communities have been doing over the past 40 years—and rewards that with federal resources that are commensurate to the crisis we’re facing, so that we can tackle these problems and, at the end of the day, provide every person with affordable, safe, drinking water.”

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 150 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. For more information visit http://www.healthylakes.org Follow us on twitter @healthylakes.

On Monday, the Trump Administration released its proposed budget for 2019, which runs from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019. As was the case last year, the president’s proposed budget is a complete disaster for the Great Lakes and a non-starter for the millions of people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York who rely on the lakes for their drinking water, jobs, and way of life.

The Trump Administration also released its infrastructure platform this week. You can read our initial thoughts here. We’ll have more to say on that in a few days.

In the meantime, here are some observations on the proposed Trump Administration budget.

The Trump Administration’s proposed budget undermines Great Lakes restoration efforts. The budget, frankly, is a slap in the face to the millions of people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs, and way of life. Federal investments over the last eight years have been instrumental in helping communities clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, fight invasive species like Asian carp, and reduce runoff pollution. Despite progress, serious threats remain. Cutting funding – or zeroing it out – will only make projects more expensive and complicated the longer we wait.

The budget leaves Great Lakes states high and dry. To date, Great Lakes restoration has been a tremendous state-federal partnership—for good reason: Great Lakes restoration efforts tackle big problems that cost a lot of money. Upgrading, repairing and fixing the eight-state region’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure will cost an estimated $179 billion over the next 20 years. States cannot foot the bill alone. The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water resources. They are a national treasure, clearly worthy of federal support as a partner to the states.

Congress will likely ignore Trump’s drastic cuts. Congress still holds the purse strings, and there is a strong track record of bi-partisan support for many Great Lakes restoration programs. Republicans and Democrats in Congress ignored the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts last year—and will likely do so again. In fact, over the last four years, the U.S. Congress clawed back Great Lakes restoration funding after proposed cuts by U.S. House leadership, President Barack Obama (twice), and President Donald Trump. The bottom line is that federal public officials are firmly behind restoration efforts that are also backed by regional chambers of commerce, industry, cities, tribes, and the states themselves.

We’re not out of the woods yet. While there is reason to be cautiously optimistic around restoring funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative—the marquee $300 million-per-year program to clean up toxic pollution, restore habitat, fight invasive species, and reduce city and farm runoff pollution—plenty of threats remain. Near the top of the list is cutting funding for the agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, National Parks Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others (such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Grant program), which implement Great Lakes restoration activities. Cutting agency budgets will make it increasingly difficult to implement Great Lakes restoration activities efficiently and effectively if agencies have their legs kicked out from under them. Similarly, assaults on core clean water protections by the Trump Administration will sabotage Great Lakes restoration efforts.

U.S. representatives and senators from the region will need to be a vocal voice for a suite of clean water issues—and not just for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Policy rollbacks, agency budget cuts, inadequate infrastructure funding, and other threats demand strong and vocal opposition if we are to finally provide all Americans with clean, safe drinking water. In short, the definition of what it means to be a champion of the Great Lakes is changing. There’s more to do, not less.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition will continue to be a strong voice for Great Lakes restoration and protection. We’ll be in Washington, D.C., March 7-8, with 100 Great Lakes advocates to make sure that restoring the lakes remains a top priority for the U.S. Congress.

People use the Great Lakes for swimming, boating, and wildlife watching. This way of life is dependent on Great Lakes restoration and clean up. Credit: iStock photo.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 12, 2018)—The Trump Administration today released its proposed budget, which drastically cuts core Great Lakes programs as well as funding for the federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, charged with implementing them.

“The Trump Administration budget is a non-starter. The 30 million people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, health, jobs, and way of life deserve solutions to curb toxic algal outbreaks, halt invasive species like Asian carp, restore lost habitat, and clean up toxic contamination. It will once again be up to Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress to support Great Lakes restoration efforts that are producing results for our environment and economy in communities across the region. We look forward to working with Great Lakes leaders in the U.S. House and Senate to restore funding to these important programs to ensure that Great Lakes restoration remains a top national priority.”

The Trump Administration also released its national infrastructure platform, which foists much of the financial costs onto local and state government, while also rolling back landmark environmental protections. Over the past 40 years, the federal government’s share of national water infrastructure investments has fallen from 63 percent to 9 percent. From 2010-2017, water rates for people rose 41 percent.

“The Trump Administration missed a major opportunity to help communities restore their water infrastructure. It places the financial burden on local communities, which have taken on the lion’s share of funding these expensive projects over the last 40 years and have consequently seen water bills skyrocket for individuals and families. And, the Trump plan guts clean water protections that every American depends on for clean, safe drinking water. In all, it makes no sense.

“The bottom line is the Trump plan is pure fantasy and will not help solve the nation’s water infrastructure crisis. The Great Lakes region alone needs more than $179 billion in upgrades, repairs, and improvements over the next 20 years to drinking water and wastewater infrastructure to meet our clean water goals. That will only happen with a plan that significantly increases federal investments that provide financial relief to local communities; prioritizes nature-based solutions that save money by preventing problems before they become more serious; makes water affordable for everyone; and upholds environmental, health and safety standards that work to ensure clean water for all of the people who call this nation home. We look forward to working with Congress to put in place a bi-partisan infrastructure package that works for people, communities, businesses, and the Great Lakes.”

$2.65 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which provide low-interest loans to communities to fix and build wastewater and drinking water infrastructure—an increase of $397 million from fiscal year 2017 budget levels.

$5.4 billion for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which helps administer Great Lakes restoration and clean water protection programs—a reduction of 34 percent from the 2017 budget levels.

$0 (zero) for Clean Water Act Section 319 programs, which helps communities reduce polluted runoff that leads to toxic algal outbreaks—a reduction of $167 million from the fiscal year 2017 budget levels.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 150 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. For more information visit http://www.healthylakes.org Follow us on twitter @healthylakes.

]]>Trump State of the Union, Great Lakes Restorationhttp://www.healthylakes.org/press-releases/trump-state-union-great-lakes-restoration/
Tue, 30 Jan 2018 20:23:31 +0000http://www.healthylakes.org/?p=12575Tonight, President Trump gives his first State of the Union address. Staff at the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition will analyze the address through the lens of federal Great Lakes restoration efforts. The Trump Administration has not been a great … Continue reading →

]]>Tonight, President Trump gives his first State of the Union address. Staff at the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition will analyze the address through the lens of federal Great Lakes restoration efforts. The Trump Administration has not been a great supporter of federal restoration efforts, recommending last year to eliminate core programs. That said, we’ll be listening to the address for any more details on the Trump Administration’s proposed infrastructure strategy. Here in the region—and across the country—communities are grappling with antiquated, inadequate water infrastructure. They are also grappling with how to afford these needed water services.

A top priority for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is robust federal investment to help the eight Great Lakes states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York meet their clean water needs—because the need is great.

The region needs approximately $179 billion in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements over the next 20 years to make the system whole again. We’re not going to get there at current rates of federal investment. We also aren’t going to meet our clean water and Great Lakes restoration goals by rolling back core environmental protections. Leaked documents hint at the large-scale repeal of environmental protections in a Trump infrastructure package, as well as financing that relies on state, rather than federal, investment. We’ll weigh in once we see a final proposed infrastructure package.

]]>Washington Update: Fiscal Year 2018 Deliberationshttp://www.healthylakes.org/washington-update/washington-update-fiscal-year-2018-deliberations/
Tue, 16 Jan 2018 20:28:53 +0000http://www.healthylakes.org/?p=12562The potential for a government shut down draws closer as the current continuing resolution for fiscal year 2018 runs out on Friday. At issue are several points of contention: how to resolve the fate of 700,000 DACA (Deferred Action for … Continue reading →

]]>The potential for a government shut down draws closer as the current continuing resolution for fiscal year 2018 runs out on Friday. At issue are several points of contention: how to resolve the fate of 700,000 DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients and increasing defense budget levels. Various splits within the Republican party and between the Republicans and Democrats are making compromise difficult.

The budget process overall is in a state of disarray. In theory, the federal budget for this year would’ve been decided on in October of 2017. As debate continues around passing another continuing resolution or passing an omnibus spending bill for FY18, we draw closer and closer to the regularly scheduled start of next fiscal year’s appropriation’s discussions.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 17, at 10 a.m. the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works holds another hearing on the Water Resources Development Act. This hearing follows a hearing last week that took testimony from non-federal witnesses. This week’s panel will hear from federal agency witnesses, including from Ryan Fisher, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), U.S. Department of the Army.

]]>Washington Update: Continuing Resolutions and Year End Negotiationshttp://www.healthylakes.org/washington-update/washington-update-continuing-resolutions-and-year-end-negotiations/
Thu, 07 Dec 2017 19:30:17 +0000http://www.healthylakes.org/?p=12540The federal government could shut down after Friday if the House and Senate don’t act to pass a continuing resolution that funds the government beyond December 8. The current continuing resolution is set to run out Friday and Republicans are … Continue reading →

]]>The federal government could shut down after Friday if the House and Senate don’t act to pass a continuing resolution that funds the government beyond December 8. The current continuing resolution is set to run out Friday and Republicans are interested in passing another continuing resolution that would fund the government through December 22. Several contentious issues remain: changing budget caps to increase defense funding, supporting Children’s Health Insurance Program, and addressing the fate of people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Each of these could derail a compromise on a new continuing resolution, since 218 votes from the House and 60 from the Senate are needed for passage. A POLITICO/Morning Consult poll showed that most voters are interested in avoiding a shut down of the government, although there are some partisan differences when it comes to what issues should be compromised on in order to avoid a shut down.

Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund are currently set at FY17 levels. If Congress is able to avoid a shut down this week, a final decision on the full FY18 budget could come before December 22. With so many details to work out, including baseline budget numbers for defense and non-defense discretionary spending, a final budget for FY18 may not come until after the new year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 21, 2017)—Today the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Appropriations released its funding bill for the Department of the Interior, EPA, and other related agencies. The bill provides:

$300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, reduce farm and urban runoff, control invasive species, and restore fish and wildlife habitat. The bill maintains funding at the same level as last fiscal year, which is $300 million more than the Trump Administration’s budget request.

$1.394 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help communities finance wastewater infrastructure. The bill maintains funding at the same level as last fiscal year, and is the same amount as the Trump Administration’s budget request.

$864 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to help communities finance drinking water infrastructure. The bill maintains funding at the same level as last fiscal year, and is the same amount as the Trump Administration’s budget request.

“On the one hand, the Senate budget bill keeps Great Lakes restoration efforts on track and helps ensure that the federal government can continue to invest in projects that benefit the more than 30 million people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs, and way of life.

“On the other hand, the bill cuts the budget for agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, that administer Great Lakes restoration programs, and includes provisions that erode core environmental protections, like the Clean Water Act—actions that can undermine restoration efforts. That is the wrong tact to take, because serious threats remain and our work is not done if we want to fully restore the lakes and protect our drinking water, public health, jobs, and way of life.”

In March, when the Trump Administration’s preliminary budget was leaked to the press, showing steep cuts to core Great Lakes programs, Great Lakes senators sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, urging the administration to maintain funding. In October, U.S. senators urged the Trump Administration to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 million in its proposed fiscal year 2019 budget, which will likely be released in February 2018.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 145 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.healthylakes.org or follow us on Twitter @healthylakes.

]]>Updated Action Alert: U.S. House Circulates Sign On Letter Urging Administration to Fund Great Lakes in FY19http://www.healthylakes.org/take-action/action-alert-u-s-house-circulates-sign-on-letter-urging-administration-to-fund-great-lakes-in-fy19/
Thu, 26 Oct 2017 15:21:27 +0000http://www.healthylakes.org/?p=12508Updated alert! The deadline for this sign on letter has been extended to Thursday, November 2. While Congress continues to debate funding levels for the current fiscal year, the federal agencies have already proposed next year’s budget to the Office … Continue reading →

]]>Updated alert! The deadline for this sign on letter has been extended to Thursday, November 2.

While Congress continues to debate funding levels for the current fiscal year, the federal agencies have already proposed next year’s budget to the Office of Management and Budget, the White House office that puts together the President’s budget request each year. Representatives David Joyce (R-Ohio), Sander Levin (D-Mich.), and Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) are circulating a dear-colleague letter to the Office of Management and Budget in support of funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 million in the president’s fiscal year 2019 budget request – we’re hoping Coalition members can make calls this week to your Representative and urge them to sign on to this letter.

Read the letter here. This letter reminds the White House that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is producing results. The more Representatives that sign on also helps remind the President’s budget director that this program has strong, bipartisan support in Congress. The letter will close on Halloween, October 31.

You may contact your Member of Congress via the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

We’re hoping for a strong showing on this letter, another step in the push to continue to receive full GLRI funding. The GLRI continues to be a successful, needed program, and we need your help in making sure the critical work happening under the GLRI can continue. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The full text of the dear colleague and the letter to OMB are included below. If offices wish to sign on or have questions, please contact Rose Luttenberger with Rep. Levin (rose.luttenberger@mail.house.gov) or Chris Cooper with Rep. Joyce (chris.cooper@mail.house.gov). The deadline has been extended to Thursday, November 2.

]]>U.S. Senators Ask Office of Management and Budget to Fund GLRI at $300 Million in FY19http://www.healthylakes.org/great-lakes-restoration-initiative/u-s-senators-ask-office-of-management-and-budget-to-fund-glri-at-300-million-in-fy19/
Mon, 23 Oct 2017 18:38:19 +0000http://www.healthylakes.org/?p=12514Thirteen Great Lakes Senators sent a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget yesterday asking it to support $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in next year’s presidential budget request. As the letter points out: … Continue reading →

]]>Thirteen Great Lakes Senators sent a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget yesterday asking it to support $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in next year’s presidential budget request. As the letter points out: “The GLRI enjoys bipartisan and bicameral support in Congress….The momentum and partnerships of the GLRI program, which are helping to protect and restore the Great Lakes, must be maintained.” Read the text of the letter here.

]]>ANN ARBOR, MICH. (October 9, 2017)—As the U.S. Congress and Trump Administration debate the fate of core Great Lakes restoration programs, hundreds of advocates for the lakes prepare to gather in Buffalo, N.Y., October 17-19, for the 13th annual Great Lakes restoration conference.

“We hope the conference is a catalyst for continued congressional support for federal Great Lakes restoration efforts,” said Todd Ambs, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have delivered for the Great Lakes before, and we’re asking them to not waiver now—more than 30 million people depend on the lakes for their drinking water. Federal investments are producing results in communities from Buffalo to Duluth, but serious threats remain. Now is not the time to scale back the nation’s commitment to the Great Lakes or problems will get worse and more costly to solve.”

The conference will highlight cutting-edge issues that impact the lakes and communities in the eight-state region of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. This year, topics include the revitalization of the Buffalo River and its effect on communities and local economy; the state of New York’s recent $2.5 billion commitment to fix the state’s water infrastructure; efforts to curb toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie; and the intersection between restoration efforts, urban communities, and frontline communities that have often borne the brunt of environmental degradation.

The conference comes as the U.S. Congress works to finalize the budget for this federal fiscal year. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is asking Congress to:

support $300 million in the federal budget for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, control invasive species, and reduce farm and city runoff;

increase by at least twofold—to nearly $5 billion—the funding for federal programs that help communities fix wastewater and drinking water infrastructure;

reject bad policies that undermine federal investments in the Great Lakes.

Over the last eight years, the federal government has invested more than $2.5 billion in more than 3,500 local projects across the Great Lakes region as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. But more work needs to be done, as evidenced by recurring harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, beach closings, and fish consumption advisories. Further, the region faces old and crumbling water infrastructure—part of a national water infrastructure crisis. The EPA estimates it will take more than $660 billion over the next 20 years to fix, update, and modernize national stormwater, wastewater and drinking water systems. Great Lakes states face almost $180 billion in needed improvements.

Wastewater Infrastructure Need over 20 years

Drinking Water Infrastructure need over 20 years

Total need over 20 years

Minnesota

$2.389 billion

$7.363 billion

$9.903 billion

Wisconsin

$6.329 billion

$7.141 billion

$13.616 billion

Illinois

$6.537 billion

$18.985 billion

$25.913 billion

Indiana

$7.162 billion

$6.547 billion

$13.843 billion

Michigan

$2.077 billion

$13.814 billion

$16.175 billion

Ohio

$14.587 billion

$12.191 billion

$27.030 billion

Pennsylvania

$6.950 billion

$14.227 billion

$21.471 billion

New York

$31.439 billion

$22.041 billion

$53.936 billion

Total

$77.470 billion

$102.289 billion

$179.759 billion

The staggering price tag comes as federal investments in infrastructure are declining and local communities are footing a greater portion of the bill. Federal funding for water infrastructure has dropped significantly over the last four decades. In 1977, federal investments made up 63 percent of total spending on water infrastructure. By 2014, that had dropped down to 9 percent. And, unsurprisingly water rates are going up: from 2010 to 2017, water rates increased 41 percent across the country. Many communities—especially those with high rates of poverty and unemployment—find such additional costs untenable.

“It’s important that as we confront the nation’s water infrastructure crisis we make sure that we’re not putting the entire burden on communities that can ill afford it,” said Ambs. “Every person deserves the right to clean, affordable water. The U.S. government should pitch in its fair share and invest in solutions to help local communities protect our drinking water, economy, and way of life.”

Sponsors of the annual conference include more than 50 businesses, foundations, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations, including: PSAV, The Brookby Foundation, Fund for Lake Michigan, The Joyce Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Great Lakes Today, The Brico Fund, Park Foundation, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Freshwater Future, National Parks Conservation Association, National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, U.S. Geological Survey, International Joint Commission, Canadian Consulate General of Detroit, Frey Foundation, Shedd Aquarium, University of Michigan Water Center, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and River Network.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 145 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.healthylakes.org or follow us on Twitter @healthylakes.